* 1/7: Beginning of 3 days of Islamic terrorists attacks, killing 17
people at the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine, at a Jewish market, and
elsewhere in/near Paris, France (2015). [A Muslim police officer was among those who were killed at the office, and a Muslim man secreted patrons at the
market to protect them.] [Following the attacks, Muslim governments and
organizations condemned the attacks. Also following the attacks, 50+ anti-Muslim
incidents occurred in France.] [While 4 Muslims participated in these attacks,
and while some Muslims have participated in and supported other acts of Islamic
terrorism, most Muslims are horrified by such acts done in the name of their
religion. It is immoral to hold all Muslims responsible for the acts of a few.]
[It is moral and laudable to condemn those who commit evil acts, including
killings, torture, persecution, and discrimination. However, using "freedom of
speech" as a justification for inciting hatred or violence against all Muslims
(or Jews or Christians), or for bullying Muslims (or Jews or Christians) by
ridiculing non-harmful aspects of their religion or culture, particularly when
they are a disempowered minority group in one's country, is immoral, even if it is legal.
Though legally-protected speech should not be censored or the source
punished, when such incitement or bullying occurs, all moral people should use
"freedom of speech" to reveal the hate speech for what it is and publicly
condemn it. But regardless of the
provocation, violence against noncombatants is illegal and immoral.] [See
Wikipedia article
on Charlie Hebdo Shooting and
RT News
article on the anti-Muslim aftermath.]

* 1/12: Day genocide was outlawed world-wide (1951); day to mourn all
victims of genocide. [Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of Genocide: signed/adopted 12/9/1948; entered into force
1/12/1951.][Text
of Convention] [For more information, see Prevent
Genocide International website.] [In the name of Allah, and for love of
Allah, Muslims should condemn all past genocides and, to prevent future
genocides, should demand an end to persecution on account of any nationality,
ethnicity, "race" or religion.]

* 1/20: World Religions Day--Day to contemplate all religions as
different paths to the one universal Deity of many names and aspects.

* 1/26: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Somalia. [The Somali civil war has been ongoing since the
socialist government of Siad Barre was ousted on 1/26/1991. (Barre had ruled
since a 10/21/1969 military coup d'etat.) Somaliland declared its independence
on 5/18/1991 and has been autonomous since. Multiple rebel groups vied for power
over the remainder of Somalia. The U.N.'s peacekeeping mission from 1992-1995
attempted to provide order and humanitarian relief, but was unsuccessful. On its
withdrawal, factions consolidated control over different parts of Somalia. A
federal transitional government was formed on 5/5/2000 and an
internationally-recognized government was inaugurated on 8/20/2012.] [In 2006,
the Islamic Courts Union, an Islamist organization, occupied the south, but were
ousted by the end of the year. Al-Shabaab (a/k/a Harakat al-Shabaab
al-Mujahideen) formed when the Islamic Courts Union splintered. Al-Shabaab has
been fighting government troops since that time. It has occupied parts of
southern and central Somalia since 2007, imposing a severe form of Islamic law
(Sharia) on those under its control. Al-Shabaab is grounded in Sunni Islam,
while Somalis are largely Sufi Muslims. Al-Shabaab has attacked Sufi clerics,
mosques, and shrines. Al-Shabaab has also attempted to eliminate "western"
influences and has banned the teaching of science in schools. People caught not
attending the mandatory prayers have been flogged. Women have also been flogged
for wearing traditional Somali clothing (instead of expensive imported abayas),
for engaging in commerce, and for mixing with men. Those accused of some crimes
have had limbs amputated or been executed.] [In 2012, Al-Shabaab Emir Mukhtar
Abu Zubair (Ahmed Abdi Godane) announced a merger with Al-Qaeda and planned
international attacks. However, Al-Shabaab Deputy Emir Mukhtar Robow (Abu
Mansur) opposed this alliance and wanted Al-Shabaab to focus on the Islamization
of Somalia. Following Ahmed Abdi Godane's death in 2014, Emir Abu Ubaidah (Ahmad
Umar) confirmed the alliance with Al-Qaeda.] [Somali government troops have been
aided by Ethiopian troops (2006-2009), African Union troops (since 2007), and
U.S. airstrikes. During the course of the war, thousands of civilians have been
killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.] [See Wikipedia articles
on Somali Civil War,
Somaliland,
Transitional Federal Government,
Federal
Government of Somalia, and
Al-Shabaab
(Militant Group).] [For information on the human rights situation in
Somalia, see Human Rights Watch
report: Somalia;
Amnesty
International report: Somalia.] [Al-Shabaab violates Islam's prohibition
against taking innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to tolerate Muslims who
hold other views, violates Islam's mandate to treat women with respect, and
violates Islam's mandate to promote the pursuit of knowledge.]

* 1/27: Day to mourn the anti-Islamic xenophobic rhetoric and actions
of the Trump administration. [President Donald Trump
signed the Muslim Travel Ban, an executive order banning the entry of
non-U.S. citizens from some Muslim-majority countries on 1/27/2017.]
[Executive Order 13769 banned most travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya,
Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. As a result of the order, over 700
travelers were detained at the border or stranded in transit, and almost
60,000 previously-approved visas were revoked. The purported basis of
the ban was to prevent terrorist attacks. However, before the order was
signed, no terrorist attack had been committed in the U.S. by citizens
of those countries, and government experts concluded that they did not
pose a higher risk. Based on President Trump’s anti-Islamic rhetoric,
federal courts concluded that the executive order was intended to
discriminate on account of religion, in violation of the U.S.
Constitution. A nation-wide temporary restraining order was issued on
2/3/2017, which was upheld on 2/9/2017. Executive Order 13769 was
replaced by Executive Order 13780 on 3/6/2017, which instituted a
modified form of the Muslim Travel Ban. However, courts also prevented
its enforcement on 3/15/2017. Executive Order 13780 was subsequently
modified by Presidential Proclamations 9645 and 9723 to get around
judicial objections. It was not until appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court
that a diluted version of the Muslim Travel Ban was allowed to be
enforced on 6/26/2018. See Wikipedia articles on
Executive
Order 13769,
Executive
Order 13780, and
Legal Challenges to the Trump Travel Ban.]

* 2/1 to 2/28: Ethnic Equality Month--Time to honor all peoples and
their positive traditions; time to meditate on the equality of all
peoples, on the respect due to them, and on God-Goddess manifesting as
African, Asian, Oceanic, Middle Eastern, European, Hispanic, and Native
American. [Expands idea of African-American History Month a/k/a Black
History Month.]

* 2/6: Day to mourn all the women and girls who have been subjected
to female genital mutilation. [Female genital mutilation is
also known as "F.G.M." and "female circumcision". F.G.M. results in severe pain,
bleeding, disfigurement, urine retention, recurrent infections, painful
menstruation, sexual dysfunction, infertility, and complications in childbirth.]
[International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting
established on 2/6/2003 by the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices
Affecting the Health of Women and Children (I.A.C.).]
[See World Health
Organization (W.H.O.) Fact Sheet on F.G.M.] [See also
Gender Equity
in Islam (which indicates F.G.M. predates Islam, is not mentioned in the
Qur'an, and is not mandated by any hadith) and an
Islamic fatwa condemning
the practice of F.G.M. (ruling that F.G.M. is inconsistent with Islam
because it causes harm to women) by Professor Ali Gom'a, Grand Mufti of Egypt
(11/24/2006).] [For more information about F.G.M., see Female
Genital and Sexual Mutilation - Bibliography.]

* 2/13: Birthday of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community (1835). He advocated a peaceable form of Islam that
rejects violent jihad. He believed he was a divine reformer and the
Mahdi, who would rid the world of evil in the end days.
[Death day
5/26/1908] [Ahmadis, Sufis, and many Sunnis and Shia's reject violent
jihad. Jihad is conceived to be an inner struggle against evil of all
kinds.]

* 2/18: Day Iranian police destroyed the shrine of the 14th-century
Sufi poet and dervish Naser Ali, the holiest site of the Nematollahi
Gonabadi Sufi community (2009). Vigil for the end of persecution of
Sufis by Shi'as and for religious tolerance of all Muslims by all
Muslims. [Some
Shi'a Muslims consider Sufi Muslims to be heretics. In addition to desecrating
and destroying Sufi holy sites, Iran detains, flogs, and exiles Sufi leaders.]
[Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 3/1: Day the production and use of landmines was outlawed
world-wide (1999); day to mourn their victims. [Protocol on
Prohibition or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps, and Other Devices
a/k/a Convention on Landmines a/k/a Mine Ban Treaty, amending the 1980
Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional
Weapons Which May be Deemed Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate
Effects: Treaty sgned/adopted 10/10/1980; entered into force 12/2/1983;
Protocol signed 12/3/1997; entered into force 3/1/1999.] [Text of
Convention] [Pakistan is still manufacturing landmines; Iran may still be
manufacturing landmines. Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. have not
ratified the Protocol.]
[Landmines maim and kill civilians, including children. Those that survive endure a lifetime of hardship.] [In the name of Allah,
and for love of Allah, Muslims should renounce the production and use of
landmines, and should demand removal and destruction of all existing landmines.][For more information, see International
Campaign to Ban Landmines (I.C.B.L.) website;
Landmine
Monitor website.] [The U.N. has designated 4/4
International Day for
Mine Awareness.]

* 3/1 to 3/31: Gender Equality Month--Time to honor both genders;
time to meditate on the equality of women and men, on the respect due to
both women and men, and on Goddess-God manifesting as woman and man.
[Expands idea of Women's History Month.]

* 3/2: Day to mourn the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti for proposing
reform of Pakistan's blasphemy law (2011). [Blasphemy laws have been used as a pretext to persecute members of
minority Muslim sects, non-Muslims, dissidents, academics, and journalists. Even
unintentional offense is considered blasphemy. Blasphemy is punishable by death
in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan; and is punishable by
imprisonment in Egypt and Indonesia. The
religions of others should be respected, but freedom of speech should be respected,
too.] [Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 19 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) guarantee
freedom of expression.]

* 3/5: Day the Pakistani Taliban destroyed the shrine of the
17th-century Sufi poet-saint Abdur Rahman Baba (2009). Vigil for the end
of persecution of Sufis by Sunnis and for religious tolerance of all
Muslims by all Muslims.
[Some Sunni Muslims consider Sufi Muslims to be heretics.
Sufis are persecuted in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Somalia.] [Rahman
Baba advocated love and tolerance: "Sow flowers, so your surroundings become a
garden. Don't sow thorns; for they will prick your feet. We are all one body.
Whoever tortures another, wounds himself."] [Articles 2 and 18 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 3/7 eve to 3/8 eve: Remembrance day for Sufi saint Haji Bektash (d.
1337). He initiated women into his order equally with men and advocated
gender equality in Islamic society. [The Bektashi order is also open to
all ethnicities, nationalities, and classes. See
Bektashi Sufi Order website.
The Qur'an says: "All are equal, regardless of
gender or ethnicity; nobility is shown by conduct alone." See
Qur'an Surah 49 Vs. 13.]
[Rajab 1] [Birthday & death day unknown]

* 3/8: Vigil for peace, democratic government, and respect for the
human rights of all in Syria. [The 2011 unrest that grew out of the
"Arab Spring" revolution became a civil war between the government and various
factions, including both pro-democratic and Sunni Islamist groups. In the course
of this war, the Syrian government has committed human rights abuses and used
chemical weapons against civilians. See
Wikipedia article on Syrian Civil War.] [Following subjugation of areas in
Iraq and Syria, on 6/29/2014, the organization that now calls itself the
"Islamic State" (p/k/a Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad/Organization of Monotheism
and Jihad), led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri), declared a
world-wide Islamic caliphate. However, it has not been recognized as a
government or an Islamic caliphate. (To be recognized as an Islamic caliphate,
it must be recognized by Islamic clerics and the Muslim populace throughout the
world. The caliph must be chosen by Allah and elected by the Muslim people.)
"Islamic State" has committed human rights abuses against civilians (primarily
against Christians, Yazidis, Druze, Shabaks, Mandeans, and Shi'a Muslims).
Thousands have been massacred, tortured, and forced to convert. Non-Muslim women
and girls have been raped and sold into sexual slavery (forced "marriages"). It
has imposed an extreme form of Islamic law on those under its control and has
killed civilian Sunni Muslims who refuse to pledge allegiance to it. And it has
committed war crimes against Syrian and Iraqi combatants.] ["Islamic State" has
allied itself with militant groups, and claimed territory, in Libya, Sinai,
Algeria, and elsewhere. It has also threatened international attacks.] ["Islamic State"
violates Islam's prohibition against taking innocent life, violates Islam's
mandate to tolerate Muslims who hold other views, violates Islam's mandate to
protect "People of the Scripture", and violates Islam's mandate to treat women
with respect.] [The government's coalition (including Russia) and the rebels' coalition
(including the U.S.) have
largely defeated the "Islamic State", but they continue to fight each
other.] [See
Wikipedia article on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. For information
on the human rights situation in Syria, see
Human Rights Watch
report: Syria;
Amnesty International report: Syria.] [3/8 is Syria's national holiday.
March 8 Revolution Day celebrates the day the Baath Party seized power by coup
d'etat
in 1963.]

* 3/12: Day Pope John Paul II, in the name of the Catholic Church,
asked Deity's forgiveness and apologized: to Christians of other
denominations for intolerance to them, to Jews for anti-Semitism, to
peoples of all non-Christian religions for intolerance and contempt for
their religious traditions, to women for their humiliation and
marginalization, and to the poor and the powerless for indifference to
them (2000). [On the first Sunday in Lent in the Jubilee Year, as a part of the
liturgy of the Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Pope John Paul
II made this public confession with the aid of seven cardinals and bishops. See
Transcript of Confession and Request for Forgiveness.] [While the Catholic
Church instigated the Crusades, forcibly converted non-Christians, and killed
Christian dissidents, ordinary Catholics at the time had no say in it. Nor did
any Christian alive today. While it is appropriate to expect atonement from the
Catholic Church, it is immoral to blame all Catholics/Christians for the past abuses
committed by the Church.]

* 3/18: Day the first woman served as imam, leading a public,
mixed-gender, Muslim congregation in Jum'ah prayer, and delivering the
sermon (2005). [Dr. Amina Wadud is an Islamic scholar, feminist, and
professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Wadud is the author of
"Qur'an and Women: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective," the
first interpretive reading of the Qur'an by a woman. Dr. Wadud says that the
Prophet Muhammad approved the practice of women leading mixed-gender prayer.]
[See
BBC News article.] [Since 3/18/2005, other women
have served as imams for mixed-gender congregations.]

* 3/20: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Iraq. [The Iraq War officially lasted from 3/20/2003 to
12/18/2011.] [About the invasion
of Iraq] [See Wikipedia
article on the Iraq War.] [Following subjugation of areas in Iraq and Syria,
on 6/29/2014, the organization that now calls itself the "Islamic State" (p/k/a
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad/Organization of Monotheism and Jihad), led by Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi (Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri), declared a
world-wide Islamic caliphate. However, it has not been recognized as a
government or an Islamic caliphate. (To be recognized as an Islamic caliphate,
it must be recognized by Islamic clerics and the Muslim populace throughout the
world. The caliph must be chosen by Allah and elected by the Muslim people.)
"Islamic State" has committed human rights abuses against civilians (primarily
against Christians, Yazidis, Druze, Shabaks, Mandeans, and Shi'a Muslims).
Thousands have been massacred, tortured, and forced to convert. Non-Muslim women
and girls have been raped and sold into sexual slavery (forced "marriages"). It
has imposed an extreme form of Islamic law on those under its control and has
killed civilian Sunni Muslims who refuse to pledge allegiance to it. And it has
committed war crimes against Syrian and Iraqi combatants.] ["Islamic State" has
allied itself with militant groups, and claimed territory, in Libya, Sinai,
Algeria, and elsewhere. It has also threatened international attacks.] ["Islamic State" violates Islam's prohibition against taking
innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to tolerate Muslims who hold other
views, violates Islam's mandate to protect "People of the Scripture", and
violates Islam's mandate to treat women with respect.] [On 12/10/2017, the
government of Iraq declared that its coalition has driven the "Islamic
State" out of Iraq.] [See
Wikipedia article on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. For information on the human rights situation in Iraq, see
Human Rights Watch
report: Iraq;
Amnesty International report: Iraq.]

* 3/21: Nowruz--Persian New Year. [Celebrated by Shi'a and Sufi
Muslims.] [A few days prior to Nowruz, the home is completely cleaned. A
ceremonial haft seen table is set with seven symbolic dishes. They
include sprouts (rebirth), garlic (health), pudding (abundant food),
oleaster fruit (love and compassion), sumac berries (goodness), vinegar
(patience to attain wisdom), and an apple (beauty). The table also
generally includes a Qur'an, a mirror, candles, rose water, colored
eggs, a hyacinth plant, a goldfish, and coins. On the night before
Nowruz, a feast is held and a fire lit. On and following Nowruz,
relatives, friends, and neighbors visit each other, and gifts are given
to children.]

* 3/23: Day the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded by Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad (1889). Ahmadi Muslims preach love for all, hatred for
none.
[See the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community website.] [Ahmadis are persecuted
by Sunni Muslims in Pakistan and Indonesia; they are
harassed in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Egypt. See
Ahmadi website documenting
their mistreatment. Vigil for the end of persecution of Ahmadis by other Muslims
and for religious tolerance of all Muslims by all Muslims.]

* 3/26: Day production and use of biological weapons was outlawed
world-wide (1975); day to mourn their victims. [Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological
(Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction a/k/a Biological Weapons
Convention: signed 4/10/1972; entered into force 3/26/1975.] [Text of
Convention] [Iran and Syria are believed to currently have biological
weapons programs in spite of the Treaty's
prohibition. Iran has
ratified the Treaty; Syria has not. In 2003, Syria proposed making
the Middle East a region free of all weapons of mass destruction, but no
commitments have been made to bring that about.] [In
the name of Allah, and for love of Allah, Muslims should renounce the
production, acquisition, and use of biological weapons, and should demand
destruction of all existing weapons.][For more
information, see
Wikipedia article on
Biological Warfare. See also U.N.
Office for Disarmament Affairs (U.N.O.D.A.) website;
Federation of American Scientists
(F.A.S.)
Biological and Chemical Weapons Main Page.]

* 4/1: Vigil for freedom of religion in Iran. [Shi'a Islam
is the official religion. While some other Muslim sects and non-Muslim religions
are officially recognized, some are not. Those that are not recognized
(particularly Baha'is) and even some that are recognized (particularly Sunni
Muslims, Sufi Muslims, Zoroastrians, and evangelical Christians) are
discriminated against, harassed, or persecuted. Jews are vilified.] [See
U.S. State
Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Iran.] [Articles
2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.] [4/1 is Islamic Republic Day, the day the Iranian people
voted in 1979 to become an Islamic Republic.]

* 4/7: World Health Day--Day to pray for healing of all those
chronically and seriously ill; day to advocate for adequate health care
for all.
[Day the World
Health Organization (W.H.O.) was founded in 1948.] [For information on
World Health Day, see World
Health Organization website.] [For information on the World Health
Organization, see World Health Organization
website.]

* 4/11: Day France banned Islamic face coverings, undermining Muslim
women's autonomy and freedom of religious expression (2011). Day to
mourn all laws that mandate a dress code in the name of religion or
secularism.
[Banning the covering is no different than mandating it: The face covering (niqab)
is banned in Syria's universities as well as in France, but is mandated in Saudi
Arabia. The full-body covering (burqa) is banned in Syria, but is mandated in
Afghanistan under the Taliban. The scarf (hijab) is banned by Tunisia and Turkey
in public universities and government offices, but is mandated throughout Iran
and Kuwait.] [The Qur'an asks women to "guard their modesty". See Qur'an Surah
24 Vs. 31. It also says women should "cast their outer garments over their
persons (when abroad)." See Qur'an Surah 33 Vs. 58-59. But the Qur'an does not
specify what women must wear, and Muslim women in different countries have
traditionally, and in modern times, interpreted Qur'an requirements
differently.] [Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Article 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(Text of Covenant) guarantee
freedom of religious expression.]

* 4/12: Day Saudi Arabia's Islamic authority condemned forced
marriage as un-Islamic and banned the practice (2005).
[Grand Mufti
Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, who heads Saudi Arabia's Council of Senior Ulema (Scholars),
said forced marriage is against Islamic law and those responsible for it should
be jailed. He said: "Forcing a woman to marry someone she does not want and
preventing her from wedding that whom she chooses...is not permissible" under
Islamic law. "Anyone who insists on forcing a woman...to marry against her will
is disobeying God and His Prophet (Muhammad)."] [See
BBC News article.]
[See also
fatwa against forced marriage by Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, Islamic scholar at the
Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.]

* 4/19 eve: Nisfu Sha'ban--Muslim night of repentance for all harm
done.
[The
following day, Allah determines the fate of all for the coming year.] [For views
on attaining inner peace and world peace through Islam, see
"Islam and World Peace -
Explanations of a Sufi" by M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen and
"The Quran and World Peace"
by Dr. Israr Ahmad. See also Muslim Peace
Fellowship, an organization that advocates use of non-violent means to attain
justice and positive social transformation.] [a/k/a Nisf Sha'ban, Lailatul-Bara'at, Lailutul-Bara'at]
[night following Sha'ban 14]

* 4/24: Day the genocidal massacres of Armenians, Greeks, and
Assyrians began in Ottoman Turkey (1915); vigil for true peace, justice,
and respect for the human rights of all in Greater Anatolia.
[During and after
World War I, 1.5
million Armenians, 500,000 Greeks, and 300,000 Assyrians were killed.
Able-bodied males were summarily executed or conscripted into forced labor.
Women, children, the elderly, and the infirm were forced on death marches into
the Syrian desert. The Ottoman government and the "Young Turks" were motivated primarily
by ethnic nationalism to rid Turkey of non-Turks, but they also used religion to foster
hostility against the Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians. Most Turks were Muslim,
while most Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians were Christian.] [The government of
Turkey refuses to acknowledge the deaths to have been an "ethnic cleansing",
genocide, or a crime against humanity.] [On 4/24/1915, 250 Armenian
intellectuals and community leaders were detained in Constantinople; they were
later executed.] [a/k/a 1915
Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Medz Yeghern, Greek Genocide, Assyrian Genocide,
Seyfo] [See Genocide 1915 website;
Wikipedia
article on Armenian Genocide;
Wikipedia article on Greek
Genocide; Wikipedia
article on Assyrian Genocide;
BBC article "Q&A:
Armenian Genocide Dispute".] [Defining a country by its ethnicity or
religion is contrary to international law. Using mass deportations or systematic
murder to rid a country of another ethnic group or religion is also contrary to
international law. It is also immoral, regardless of whether it is committed by
or against Muslims, Christians, Jews, or another religious group.]

* 5/5 eve to 6/3 eve: Ramadan--Muslim month of purification by
self-reflection, fasting from sunrise to sunset, peace-making, and
helping those in need. [Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking,
and sex. A communal banquet (iftar) is shared each night after sunset.
The entire Qur'an is read or recited during Ramadan.] [The ill, the
elderly, the young, pregnant women, nursing women, and menstruating
women are exempt from the fast.] [Ramadan Truce (through Eid al-Fitr):
Time to cease all forms of conflict (at least temporarily), extend a
greeting to your adversary, and share an iftar for peace.]

* 5/14 (Obs. 5/9): Israel's Independence Day (1948). [The
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel of 5/14/1948 asserts
that Israel: "will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the
prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political
rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will
guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it
will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the
principles of the Charter of the United Nations." The Declaration also promises
the Arabs living there "full and equal citizenship". But the Declaration also
declares Israel to be a "Jewish state".] [See
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel.] [Since its
establishment, Israel has laudably provided citizenship to Jews everywhere to
enable them to "return" to Israel to avoid persecution and discrimination. See
Wikipedia article on Law of
Return. But it has denied the right of return to the Palestinian Muslim
inhabitants who fled during the conflict at its founding in 1948. Many of those
refugees and their descendants continue to be stateless. This exclusion is a
source of ongoing conflict. See
Wikipedia
article on Palestinian Right of Return.] [Defining a country by its
ethnicity or religion is contrary to international law. Excluding or
disempowering another ethnic or religious group is also contrary to
international law. It is also immoral, regardless of whether it is committed by
or against Jews, Muslims, Christians, or another religious group.] [a/k/a Yom
Ha'atzmaut] [Observed Iyar 5]

* 5/14 eve to 5/15 eve: Remembrance day for Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
(d. 619 or 623), Mother of Islam - first convert to Islam, partner of
Prophet Muhammad in monogamous marriage, mother of Fatimah, and
liberated businesswoman.
[The Prophet Muhammad did not take a second wife during
Khadijah's lifetime. Khadijah was intelligent and compassionate. She was known for her financial support of Islam,
for
her generosity to the poor, for her protection of orphans, and for freeing
slaves.] [See
Wikipedia article on Khadijah bint Khuwaylid.] [For scholarly discussions of
gender equality in Islam, see
"Members, One of
Another: Gender Equality & Justice in Islam" by Riffat Hassan and
"Gender Equity in Islam" by
Jamal Badawi Ph.D. For an examination of the feminist movement in Islam, see
"Inside the Gender Jihad: Women's Reform in Islam" by Amina Wadud.]
[a/k/a Khadijah al-Kubra (the Great)] [Ramadan 10] [Born in 555, 564, or 565.
Some sources say she died on the 10th or 11th day of Ramadan.]

* 5/22: Biological Diversity Day--Day to recognize that the survival
of humanity is dependent on the survival of the many diverse species on
the Earth: The extinction of other species will bring about our own
extinction. [There has been a 40% loss of species between
1970 and 2000 due to habitat destruction, over-harvesting, and pollution. Our
unsustainable consumption exceeds the biological capacity of the Earth by about
20%.] [See U.N. website
on International Day for Biological Diversity.] [And see the Convention on
Biological Diversity: signed 6/5/1992; entered into force 12/29/1993.] [Text
of Convention] [And see the Convention on
Biological Diversity website.] [The Convention on Biological Diversity was
contracted to ensure conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of
biodiversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from
the use of genetic resources.] [For more information, see
Center for
International Environmental Law website.] [In the name of Allah, and for
love of Allah, Muslims should demand universal observance of practices that
effectively preserve all species of life, and should demand an end to habitat
destruction, over-harvesting, and pollution of all kinds.] [a/k/a International Day for
Biological Diversity, World Biological Diversity Day, Biodiversity Day]

* 5/22: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Yemen. [President Ali Abdullah Saleh had been president of
Yemen since its unification in 1990, and had been president of North Yemen since
1978. Saleh's government had been opposed as corrupt since 1994. The minority
Shi'a Muslims (in the north) felt discriminated against by the predominant Sunni
Muslims (in the south). Saleh's government had been fighting Shi'a Houthi
militants in North Yemen since 2004. Saleh's government had been fighting
separatists in South Yemen since 2009. Yemen is the stronghold of Sunni Islamic
terrorist organization Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (a/k/a AQAP), and
Saleh's government had been fighting them since 2010. Saleh was forced to resign
in 2011, following mass protests over his attempt to become president for life.
Vice President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi took over and was subsequently elected
president in 2012. Hadi was ousted by Houthi militants in 2015. Since 2015, the
civil war has been a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Thousands of civilians have been killed due to military operations and
famine.] [See Wikipedia
articles on the
Yemeni Civil War (2015-Present), Yemeni
Revolution,
Houthi
Insurgency in Yemen,
South Yemen
Insurgency, and
Al-Qaeda
Insurgency in Yemen.] [5/22 is Yemen's Unity Day, marking the unification of
North Yemen and South Yemen in 1990.]

* 5/29: Vigil for peace, freedom of religion, and respect for the
human rights of all in Nigeria. [Secular law protects freedom of
religion in central and southern Nigeria, where the population is Muslim,
Christian, and traditional Yoruba. But in northern Nigeria, where Muslims
predominate and Christians are a minority, despite constitutional protections,
Islamic law (Sharia) has been imposed in 12 states, beginning in 2000.]
[Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram (a/k/a Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna
Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad/People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's
Teachings and Jihad), has also been attempting to overthrow the secular Nigerian
government and impose its extreme form of Islam on the population since 2009.
Boko Haram was founded by Mohammed Yusuf and, since his death in 2009, has been
led by Emir Abubakar Shekau. Boko Haram opposes the "westernization" of Nigeria.
It has taken control of many northern Nigerian towns. It has destroyed churches,
mosques, and schools. It has abducted and killed thousands of civilians, both
Christians and moderate Muslims, many of whom are children. Non Muslims under
their control have been forced to convert. Unmarried women and girls have been
sold into sexual slavery (forced "marriage"). Since 2013, Boko Haram has also
made incursions into Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. In 2015, Boko Haram pledged
allegiance to "Islamic State".] [See Wikipedia articles on
Sharia in Nigeria
and on Boko Haram
Insurgency. See also Human
Rights Watch report: Nigeria;
Amnesty
International report: Nigeria.] [Boko Haram violates Islam's prohibition
against taking innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to tolerate Muslims who
hold other views, violates Islam's mandate to protect "People of the Scripture", violates Islam's mandate to treat women with respect, and
violates Islam's mandate to promote the pursuit of knowledge.] [5/29 is
Nigeria's Democracy Day. Military rule was replaced with constitutional
democracy on 5/29/1999.]

* 6/3 eve to 6/6 eve: Eid al-Fitr--Muslim festival celebrating the
end of Ramadan. [Muslims break the fast with sweets and celebrate with
large meals. Special prayers are recited and offerings are made to help
the needy. Muslims ask for Allah's forgiveness, peace, and blessings for
all living beings around the world; they also extend forgiveness to
those who have harmed them. Muslims exchange greetings, visit one
another, and give gifts to children.] [a/k/a Eid-al-Fitr, Id al-Fitr,
Eidul-Fitr] [Shawwal 1-3]

* 6/8: Death day of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) (632),
mystical Father of Islam. [Death commemorated on Safar 28.] [Born 570:
exact date unknown]

* 6/8: World Oceans Day--Day to recognize the world's dependence on
the oceans for food and medicine; day to advocate for the sustainable
management of all ocean resources and for an end to the pollution of the
oceans with toxins and trash. [See
U.N. website on World Oceans
Day.] [For information on ocean pollution and fisheries conservation, see
Greenpeace website;
EarthJustice website;
Natural Resources Defense
Counsel (N.R.D.C.) website.] [Fish stocks have collapsed in almost one-third of all ocean
fisheries. The rate of decline is accelerating and total loss of fisheries could
occur by mid-century. Fishery decline is caused by overfishing the stock, the
loss of marine biodiversity associated with the stock, pollution, and climate
change. Establishing core
protected areas for each surviving stock and preventing the stock from being
fished above the maximum sustainable yield are crucial for its survival.] [For
information about the collapse of fishery stocks, see
U.N. Environment Programme
report "In Dead Water"; National Center for Policy
Analysis article;
Wikipedia article on Overfishing.] [In the name of Allah, and for love of
Allah, Muslims should demand an end to pollution of the oceans, and should
demand universal observance of sustainable management practices of ocean
fisheries.]

* 6/17: Day a fatwa condemned "honor killings" as un-Islamic and
banned the practice (2002). [An "honor killing" is the killing of a
woman by her relatives because she has been raped, is suspected of sexual
activity outside of marriage, is pursuing unauthorized courtship, has refused an
arranged marriage, or is seeking a divorce.] [Sheikh Atiyyah Saqr, former head
of the al-Azhar University Fatwa Committee said "Islam strictly prohibits murder
and killing without legal justification. Allah, Most High, says, 'Whoso slayeth
a believer of set purpose, his reward is Hell for ever. Allah is wroth against
him and He hath cursed him and prepared for him an awful doom.' (An-Nisa': 93)
The so-called 'honor killing' is based on ignorance and disregard of morals and
laws, which cannot be abolished except by disciplinary punishments...[P]eople
are not entitled to take the law in their own hands, for it's the responsibility
of the Muslim State and its concerned bodies to maintain peace, security, etc.,
and to prevent chaos and disorder from creeping into the Muslim society."][Islamic
fatwa condemning "honor killings"] [See also
"Honor Killings in the Name of Religion" by Mohamad K. Yusuff (Islamic
Research Foundation International); United Nations Report on Honor
Killings.]

* 6/17: Day Pakistan disenfranchised Ahmadi Muslims by requiring them
to declare themselves to be non-Muslim in order to vote (2002). Vigil
for the end of persecution of Ahmadis by other Muslims and for religious
tolerance of all Muslims by all Muslims. [The Sunni Muslim majority in
Pakistan persecutes Ahmadis because they consider them to be heretics. See
Ahmadi website documenting
their mistreatment.] [Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion (and freedom from coercion that
would impair freedom of religion) and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 6/24: Day Saudi Arabian women were first legally allowed to drive
(2018). [Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued a decree
allowing women to drive on 9/27/2017.] [When women were banned from
driving, they were required to rely on male
relatives or hire male drivers to go to work, school, the market, and the
doctor.] [Driving protests contributed to the lifting of the ban. See
Guardian news article.] [Women in Saudi Arabia are also required to have a male guardian and are
prohibited from mixing with men. Some Muslim
scholars say these limitations on women's rights and freedoms are cultural, not
religious: they have no basis in the Qur'an. See
Wikipedia
article on Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia.]

* 6/26: Day torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
or punishment were outlawed world-wide (1987); day to mourn their
continued existence. [Torture is an illegal, immoral,
and ineffective means of interrogation and punishment. All officials have a
legal duty and moral obligation to refuse an order to commit torture and to
prevent it from occurring. Anyone who attempts, conspires, or commits torture is
legally culpable. All acts of torture should be investigated, prosecuted, and
punished. Neither war nor civil strife nor emergency justifies torture.] [Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment: adopted 12/10/1984; signed 2/4/1985; entered into force
6/26/1987.] [Text of
Convention] [The
Committee Against
Torture monitors implementation of the Convention. For more information, see
U.N. High
Commissioner for Human Rights website;
Human Rights Watch website.] [Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Article 7 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) also guarantee freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment.] [See
U.N. website on Torture
Victims' Day.] [In the name of Allah, and for love of Allah, Muslims
should condemn torture, and should demand an end to the use of torture - of
anyone for any purpose.] [a/k/a International Day in Support of Victims of
Torture]

* 6/27: Day the International Criminal Court indicted Libya's Moammar
Gaddafi for crimes against humanity for ordering the imprisonment and
killing of hundreds of dissidents and demonstrators against his regime
(2011). Also indicted were Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and
Gaddafi's chief of military intelligence, Abdullah Senussi.
[Gaddafi ruled Libya from
1969 (when he ousted King Idris) until he was overthrown and killed on 10/20/2011. He was never
elected leader of Libya.] [All who detain or harm peaceful
dissidents or demonstrators should be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.]
[Articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text
of Declaration) and Articles 19 and 21 of the Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (Text of Covenant)
guarantee freedom of expression and assembly.]

* 7/1: Day the world's nations committed to stop proliferation of
nuclear weapons (1968); vigil to protest the production and use of all
nuclear weapons world-wide. [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons: signed 7/1/1968; entered into force 3/5/1970.] [Text of Convention]
[The U.S. used 2 atomic bombs on Japan in 8/1945: over 270,000 civilians died
from the bombs and radiation. The original nuclear powers have failed to destroy
their nuclear weapons in spite of the Treaty's requirement that they work
towards disarmament. Pakistan has developed nuclear weapons in spite of the
Treaty's prohibition; Pakistan has not ratified the Treaty. 9 countries are
known to currently possess nuclear weapons, and other countries (including Iran)
are believed to be attempting to develop or acquire them. (Iran has
ratified the Treaty.) In 2003, Syria proposed making the Middle East a region
free of all weapons of mass destruction, but no commitments have been made by
Iran, Syria, or Israel to make the Middle East a nuclear-free zone.] [In the
name of Allah, and for love of Allah, Muslims should renounce the production,
acquisition, and use of nuclear weapons, and should demand destruction of all
existing weapons.] [For more information, see
Wikipedia article on Nuclear Warfare. See also U.N.
Office for Disarmament Affairs (U.N.O.D.A.) website;
International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) website.
And see Federation of American Scientists
(F.A.S.) nuke guide for information on Pakistan's
nukes; Iran's nukes.]

* 7/2: Day discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, gender, and
religion was prohibited in public accommodations, employment, and
education (1964). [The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson.]
[Pub. L. 88-352, 78 Stat. 241, 42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.] [Text
of statute] [Title II prohibits discrimination in public accommodations,
Title III and Title VI prohibit discrimination by local governments, Title IV
and Title IX prohibit discrimination in education, and Title VII prohibits
discrimination in employment.] [For information on fighting discrimination based on
"race" and "color", see
U.S. E.E.O.C. website, and for information on fighting discrimination based
on national origin, see
U.S. E.E.O.C.
website. For information on fighting discrimination based on gender
(including sexual harassment), see
U.S. E.E.O.C. website. For
information on fighting discrimination based on religion, see
U.S. E.E.O.C. website.]

* 7/11: Baha'i Rights Day--Vigil for the end of persecution of
Baha'is in Iran. In Iran, Baha'is are prohibited from practicing or
teaching their religion, are arbitrarily arrested and detained for long
periods, are excluded from universities, and have their property
confiscated. [The
Baha'i Faith was founded in Iran by an Iranian, and many Baha'is are Iranian and
reside in Iran. Some
Muslims consider Baha'is to be Muslim apostates and refuse to recognize their
religion.] [See Baha'i website and
Muslim Network for Baha'i Rights
website documenting mistreatment of Baha'is in Iran.] [Articles 2 and 18
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.]

* 7/23: Vigil for peace, democratic government, freedom of religion,
and respect for the human rights of all in Egypt. [The unrest
that grew out of the "Arab Spring" resulted in the resignation of President
Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi was
democratically elected president in 2012. Protests against Morsi's
authoritarianism led to a 2013 military coup d'etat, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was
elected president in 2014. Mubarak and Morsi supporters have been prosecuted and
many have been executed.] [See
Wikipedia article on Egyptian Revolution of 2011.] [For information on the
human rights situation in Egypt, see
Human Rights Watch
report: Egypt;
Amnesty International report: Egypt.] [Sunni Islam is the official religion.
Christianity and Judaism are also legally recognized. However, Christians are
subjected to attacks, harassment, and discrimination. Shi'a Muslims, Ahmadi
Muslims, and Baha'is are not recognized; they are also subjected to harassment
and discrimination.] [See
U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Egypt.] [Articles 2 and 18 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.] [Though it is officially unlawful, most women in Egypt
have been subjected to female genital mutilation. See
U.N.I.C.E.F. data.] [7/23 is Egypt's Revolution Day. It celebrates the 1952
revolution that overthrew and abolished the Egyptian monarchy, ended British
occupation, and established a republic.]

* 8/1 eve to 8/30 eve: Dhu al-Hijjah--Muslim month of pilgrimage (the
Hajj) to honor Allah, the one genderless universal Deity, at the holy
shrine of the Kaaba Stone in Mecca. [Mecca was also the site of the Old Arabic
shrine to God Al-Lah and his daughters, Goddesses Al-Lat, Al-'Uzza, and Manat. See
Qur'an Surah 53, Vs. 19-20. See also summaries of scholarship on the "Daughters
of Allah" from the Lahore Ahmadiyya
Movement, from Wikipedia, from
Sam Shamoun,
and from
Margi B.
] [a/k/a Zul-Hijjah]

* 8/2: Day the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the removal of one of
many illegal Jewish settlements on Palestinian private property in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank (2011). The Migron settlement was disputed
since it was first built in 1999. It was moved a short distance in 2012.
[In the West Bank, there are 102 unauthorized settlements and 121
settlements authorized by the Israeli government, housing more than
380,000 Jewish settlers. 80 were built on the private property of
Palestinians. All are illegal under international law.]

* 8/7 eve to 8/14 eve: Hajj--Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca to honor
Allah. [Pilgrims begin the Hajj by bathing, and men dress in special
white clothing. On the first day, pilgrims walk/run 7 times
counter-clockwise around the Kaaba and kiss the stone. With each
circuit, pilgrims say: "In the name of Allah, Allah is Great, Allah is
Great, Allah is Great, and praise be to Allah." Following completion of
the 7 circuits, pilgrims pray in the mosque. Pilgrims then walk/run
between the hills of Safa and Marwa, reciting prayers, and drink water
from the sacred Zamzam well. (This area is now fully enclosed within a
mosque.) On the second day, pilgrims go to Mina and pray, camping
overnight. The third day, pilgrims go to the plain of Mt. Arafat, keep
vigil, pray for forgiveness of transgressions and for strength, and
recite the Qur'an near where Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon. At
sunset, pilgrims go to Muzdalifah to pray and sleep under the open sky.
On the fourth day, pilgrims return to Mina to throw stones at pillars
that represent the devil. Following this, pilgrims slaughter an animal
in sacrifice (or have it done for them). The meat of the sacrificed
animal is packaged and given to those in need around the world.
Pilgrims' hair is then ritually shaved/cut. The fifth day, pilgrims
return to Mecca and perform another circuit around the Kaaba. Pilgrims
then return to Mina, to again throw stones at the pillars, remaining
there for the sixth and seventh days. Pilgrims then return to Mecca,
where they perform a final circuit around the Kaaba. After this,
pilgrims again drink water from Zamzam well, kiss the threshold of the
door of the Kaaba, and pray for forgiveness. Pilgrims leave the Kaaba
walking backwards. Some pilgrims then travel to Medina and visit the
tomb of Prophet Muhammad.] [Hajj Truce (through Eid al-Adha): Time to
cease all forms of conflict (at least temporarily), extend a greeting to
your adversary, and share a meal for peace.] [a/k/a Al-Mukarinah,
Al-Ihram, Umrat al-tammatu, Tawaf, Istlam, Sai, Yaum-al-Arafah, Day of
Arafaat, Al-Wukuf, Rami al-Jimar, Stoning of the Devil, Eid al-Adha,
Tawaf al-Ifadah, Tawaf al-Wida] [Dhu al-Hijjah 7-13]

* 8/8: Vigil for continuing progress in Burma's democratic evolution,
religious tolerance, and respect for human rights. [On 8/8/1988, a pro-democracy
demonstration opposing the authoritarian military government was attacked by
government troops.] [Burma (a/k/a Myanmar) became independent in 1948. However,
a military ruler dominated Burma from 1962 to 1988, and a military junta took
control in 1988. Despite her National League for Democracy party being elected
in 1990, Aung San Suu Kyi was never allowed to serve in office. Instead, she was
held under house arrest for almost 15 years. And for 20 years, the military
junta suppressed democratic efforts and violated human rights. However, since
2008, the military junta has been making efforts towards reform. In 2010, the
first elections since 1990 were held. Though that election was not considered to
be free and fair, the military-supported civilian government that was elected
has been instituting reforms. In an election on 4/1/2012, Aung San Suu Kyi was
elected to the Pyithu Hluttaw (lower house of the Burmese Parliament) and the
National League for Democracy party won most of the vacant seats.] [90% of the
population is Theravadan Buddhist. Christians and Muslims constitute the primary
religious minorities. The government has favored Buddhism. Non-Buddhists are
subjected to discrimination and pressure to convert.] [Rohingya Muslims are
being persecuted because of their ethnicity and religion. Though they are
indigenous to Rakhine State (Burma), they have been treated as foreigners and
denied citizenship since 1982. Mobs, sometimes aided by the military or police,
have targeted them with violence since 2012. Defining a country by its
ethnicity or religion is contrary to international law. Excluding an ethnic or
religious group from a country is also contrary to international law. It is also
immoral, regardless of whether it is committed by or against Buddhists, Muslims,
or another religious group.] [For
information on the human rights situation in Myanmar/Burma, see
Human Rights Watch report: Burma;
Amnesty International report: Myanmar;
U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Burma.]

* 8/10 eve to 8/13 eve: Eid al-Adha--Muslim festival of sacrifice to
Allah for the good of all. [An animal is sacrificed. A portion is kept
and eaten; a second portion is given to relatives, friends, and
neighbors; and a third portion is given to the needy. Special prayers
are recited throughout the festival. Muslims exchange greetings, visit
one another, and give gifts to children.] [a/k/a Eid-al-Adha, Id
al-Adha, Eidul-Adha] [Dhu al-Hijjah 10-12]

* 8/17: Vigil for peace, justice, religious tolerance, and respect
for the human rights of all in Indonesia. [The Indonesian
constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government officially
respects the religious freedom for 6 recognized religions: Islam, Catholicism,
Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. However, other religions
are not recognized (Sikhism, the Baha'i Faith, Judaism, and the traditional
Aliran Kepercayaan), and some are deemed "deviant" (Ahmadiyya Islam and Shi'a
Islam). In addition, the government allows members of the majority Sunni
Muslim religion to persecute minority religious groups, including Christians, Ahmadi
Muslims, and Shi'a Muslims. Members of minority groups are targeted for forced
conversion to Sunni Islam, their places of worship are destroyed, and they are
prosecuted for "blasphemy".] [See Human Rights Watch report:
Indonesia;
Amnesty International report: Indonesia;
U.S.
State Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Indonesia.]
[Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.] [8/17 is Indonesia's Independence Day.]

* 8/18: Day Islamic leaders declared that Muslims have a religious
duty to fight climate change (2015). [They asked all individuals,
leaders, and businesses to commit to 100% renewable energy. They also asked
wealthy nations and oil-producing nations to phase out greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050 and invest in green economies.] [They said: "God - Whom we know as Allah
- has created the universe in all its diversity, richness and vitality: the
stars, the sun and moon, the earth and all its communities of living beings. All
these reflect and manifest the boundless glory and mercy of their Creator. All
created beings by nature serve and glorify their Maker, all bow to their Lord's
will. We human beings are created to serve the Lord of all beings, to work the
greatest good we can for all the species, individuals, and generations of God's
creatures."] [See
Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change.]

* 8/25: Day to mourn the Iraqi attacks on civilian Kurds because of
their ethnicity (1988); vigil for justice and respect for the human
rights of the Kurdish people. [On 8/25/1988, Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government began
the fourth Anfal campaign against the Kurds in Northern Iraq using chemical
weapons. The first attack occurred on 3/16/1988. 60,000-100,000 Kurds were
killed during these campaigns.] [See Human
Rights Watch report: Genocide in Iraq.]

* 8/27: Vigil for the recognition of equal rights for women in Iran.
[Day the modern women's rights campaign "One Million
Signatures" was launched in Iran (2006). The campaign aims to end legal
discrimination against women in Iranian laws. Campaign activists have
been attacked and jailed. See Wikipedia articles on
One
Million Signatures;
Women's Rights Movement in Iran.] [Women's rights in Iran have risen
and fallen with political change. Following the Persian Constitutional
Revolution in 1906, women were educated in greater numbers and
participated in public affairs. But following the coup d'etat by Reza
Shah Pahlavi in 1925, women's rights were generally truncated. Following
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's White Revolution in 1963, women were
granted the right to vote and accorded some marriage protections. Though
women participated in the Iranian Revolution in 1979 that toppled the
shah, their rights were thereafter curtailed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini. The marriage protections were eliminated, inheritance
rights were undermined, women were barred from certain employment,
sex-segregation was imposed, and an Islamic dress code was mandated.
Since 1989, under Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei, women's rights
have improved somewhat, but legal inequalities continue, and domestic
violence and child marriage continue to be problems. Despite legal
limitations, women attain university education and employment in large
numbers. See
Wikipedia
article on Women's Rights in Iran. See also
Wikipedia article on Domestic Violence in Iran;
Justice for Iran article on Early and Forced Marriages in the Islamic
Republic of Iran.]

* 9/8 eve to 9/9 eve: A'ashurah--Day Shi'a Muslims mourn the death of
Al-Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and the third
Shi'a Imam, at the Battle of Karbala in 680. [While Shi'as consider Ali
ibn Abi Talib (Al-Hussain ibn Ali's father and the Prophet Muhammad's
son-in-law), to be the legitimate successor of the Prophet Muhammad,
Sunnis do not. Disagreement over the succession caused civil war and a
schism in Islam. Conflict between Sunnis and Shi'as continues. Vigil for
the peaceful coexistence of Sunnis and Shi'as and for religious
tolerance of all Muslims by all Muslims.] [A'ashurah also commemorates
the building of the Kaaba in Mecca in pre-Islamic times.] [A'ashurah is
a fast day.] [a/k/a Ashura, Aashura] [Muharram 10]

* 9/11: Day terrorists killed over 3,000 innocent civilians of many
ethnicities and religions from 86 nations (2001); day to mourn all
victims of terrorism. [Al-Qaeda terrorists, using passenger planes,
struck the World Trade Center (in New York, N.Y.) and the Pentagon (outside
Washington, D.C.). Because passengers on a fourth plane resisted, to prevent it
from being used as a weapon, it was crashed near Shanksville, P.A.] [For statements by Muslims
around the world condemning the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 as horrific and
un-Islamic, see
Muslim Voices Against Extremism and Terrorism;
Islamic
Statements Against Terrorism; Muslims
Condemn Terrorist Attacks.] [Fatwas (religious edicts) condemning terrorism have been issued
by Muslim clerics. Saudi Arabia's leading Islamic authority (the Permanent Committee of Religious Research
and Ifta) issued a fatwa
against terrorism on 6/7/2004, contending
that terrorism is forbidden under Islam and constitutes a severe form of
injustice. The Spanish Islamic Commission issued a fatwa
condemning terrorism on 3/11/2005, and called Osama bin Laden an apostate.
The U.K.'s Sunni Council issued a fatwa
against terrorism on 7/17/2005, indicating that killing others is a sin and
that suicide bombers will go to hell. The British Muslim Forum issued a fatwa condemning terrorism on
7/18/2005, indicating that terrorist acts are contrary to Islam.
The Fiqh Council of North America issued a fatwa against terrorism on 7/28/2005,
indicating that all terrorist acts targeting civilians are forbidden in Islam.]
[Al-Qaeda terrorists have struck other targets. See list of
Al-Qaeda's terrorist attacks.] [For international efforts
against terrorism (which constitutes a crime against humanity), see U.N. Action
to Counter
Terrorism.] [For incidents in which governments have used the fight
against terrorism as an excuse to suppress civil liberties, see Human
Rights Watch website.] [While some Muslims commit terrorist acts, most
Muslims do not; and most Muslims do not authorize or approve of the terrorist
acts committed. While it is appropriate to hold accountable the individuals,
organizations, and governments that commit or fund the terrorists acts, it is
immoral to blame all Muslims for the acts of a few.]

* 9/15: International Day of Democracy--Day to celebrate democratic
systems of government throughout the world, bound by rule of law,
principles of human rights, and civilian control. Day to affirm
democracy's compatibility with all peoples, all cultures, and all
religions. [In a democracy,
both military and police are subject to rule of law and subordinate to civilian
government. The military exists to protect the lawful civilian government and
civilians; the police exists to enforce the law and protect people from
criminals.] [See
U.N. website on
International Day of Democracy.] [a/k/a Democracy Day]

* 9/21: International Day of Peace--Day to demonstrate for peace with
justice throughout the world. [Peace can be realized where there is
recognition of sovereignty/autonomy, compliance with just law, respectful
behavior, responsible sharing of resources, cooperation to attain common goals,
and reasonable compromise to enable all to meet lawful goals.] [See
International
Day of Peace website; International Day
of Peace Vigil website.]

* 9/23: Vigil for freedom of religion in Saudi Arabia.
[Sunni Islam is the official religion. Members of other Muslim sects (Shi'a,
Sufi, and Ahmadi Muslims) and non-Muslim religions cannot publicly practice
their religions; private worship is also subject to punishment. Most non-Muslims
in Saudi Arabia are guest workers. They include Christians, Jews, Hindus,
Buddhists, and Sikhs. While many countries have official religions, most allow
minority religions some rights and freedoms.] [See
U.S. State
Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2015: Saudi Arabia.]
[Defining a country by its religion is contrary to international law. Excluding
or disempowering another religious group is also contrary to international law.
It is also immoral, regardless of whether it is committed by or against Muslims,
Christians, Jews, or another religious group.]
[Articles 2 and 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Text of Declaration)
and Articles 2 and 18 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Text
of Covenant) guarantee freedom of religion and prohibit discrimination on
account of religion.] [9/23 is Saudi Arabia's National Day.]

* 9/30: Birthday of Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207), Sufi saint and poet. He
believed the soul to be one with Deity, and thought ecstatic experience
of Deity could be attained with music, whirling dance, and chanting
Deity's holy names. [Rumi
was born in Afghanistan, but later lived in Turkey, where he founded the Mevlevi
Order, known as the "Whirling Dervishes".] [See article on
Jalal
ad-Din Rumi. And see
Mevlevi Order website, Mevlevi Order of
America website, and Threshold Society website.] [Death day 12/17/1273] [Wissal
on Jumada al-thani 5.]

* 10/2: Birthday of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi (1869), Hindu advocate
for human rights and self-reliance, who practiced active non-violent
resistance to injustice. [Gandhi envisioned a world where women and
untouchables would be empowered and respected. Gandhi envisioned a world
where members of all faiths (including Hindus, Muslims, and Christians)
would live harmoniously together.] [Death day 1/30/1948] [a/k/a Gandhi
Jayanti]

* 10/7: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights of
all in Afghanistan. [The Afghanistan War officially lasted from
10/7/2001 to 12/28/2014 (when the U.S./N.A.T.O. formally transferred full
security responsibility to the Afghan government).] [The Taliban, a Pashtun
Islamist terrorist organization led by Mullah Mohammad Omar, controlled much of
Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. They were supported by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,
and United Arab Emirates. They were allied with Al-Qaeda, and hosted Osama Bin
Laden until he relocated to Pakistan. They systematically massacred civilians
when taking control of an area. They imposed an extreme form of Islamic law on
Afghanis under their control, some of it not based on the Qur'an or Sharia.
Women and girls were barred from education and employment and were required to
wear burqas and be accompanied by male relatives when they left home. Women were
treated with brutality when they did not obey. Non-Pashtun women were sold into
sexual slavery (forced "marriages"). The Afghan Northern Alliance (a/k/a the
United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan) opposed the Taliban. The
U.S./N.A.T.O. intervened in 2001. Though ousted from power in late 2001, the
Taliban continued to fight the Afghan government and allies. The war has
continued since the allies' official withdrawal.] [See Wikipedia articles on the
Taliban, the
Taliban
Treatment of Women, the
War
in Afghanistan (1996-2001), the
War in
Afghanistan (2001-2014), and the
War in
Afghanistan (2015-present).] [For information on the human
rights situation in Afghanistan, see
Human Rights Watch report:
Afghanistan;
Amnesty International report: Afghanistan.] [The Taliban violates Islam's
prohibition against taking innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to tolerate
Muslims who hold other views, violates Islam's mandate to treat women with
respect, and violates Islam's mandate to promote the pursuit of knowledge.]

* 10/9: Day to mourn the Pakistani Taliban's attempted assassination
of a 15-year-old girl because she advocated for the education of girls
(2012).
[Malala Yousufzai's parents run schools in the northwest part
of Pakistan where the Pakistani Taliban (a/k/a Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and
T.T.P.), has been fighting Pakistani forces and has sometimes been in control.
The Pakistani Taliban are opposed to the education of girls. Malala blogged for
the BBC about life under the Pakistani Taliban and opposed the closure of
schools by them. See Wikipedia articles on
Malala Yousafzai,
the Pakistani
Taliban, and the
War in
Northwest Pakistan.] [The Pakistani Taliban violates Islam's prohibition against taking
innocent life, violates Islam's mandate to tolerate Muslims who hold other
views, violates Islam's mandate to treat women with respect, and violates
Islam's mandate to promote the pursuit of knowledge.]

* 10/21: Day military attacks on civilians were outlawed world-wide
(1950); day to mourn all civilian victims of war. [All soldiers have
a legal duty and a moral obligation to refuse an order to attack a noncombatant. Anyone who plans,
orders, or carries out such an act is legally culpable. All attacks on
noncombatants should be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.] [Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons
in Time of War a/k/a Fourth Geneva Convention: signed 8/12/1949; entered into
force 10/21/1950.][Text of Convention]
[See Wikipedia
article on Fourth Geneva Convention.] [In the name of Allah, and for love of
Allah, Muslims should condemn all attacks on noncombatants, and should demand an
end to them.]

* 10/23: Vigil for peace, justice, and respect for the human rights
of all in Libya. [Moammar Gaddafi was ousted from power following a
civil war that commenced on 2/17/2011. Since Gaddafi's death on 10/20/2011, a
transitional government was formed, and the General National Congress (GNC) was
elected in 2012. Another election was held in 2014 to replace the GNC with the
Council of Deputies. The validity of this election was challenged because voting
did not occur in some areas due to fighting. The members of the Islamist Justice
and Development Party who were not re-elected declared a "New General National
Congress" on 8/25/2014. The Islamists, supported by the Libya Dawn (Fajr Libya)
militias have been fighting the elected government. On 10/5/2014, other militias
pledged allegiance to "Islamic State" and have since occupied Libyan territory
and committed terrorist attacks and atrocities.] [See Wikipedia articles on the
Libyan Civil War
(2011) and the
Second Libyan Civil War (2014-Present).] [10/23 is Libya's Liberation day,
which was declared following Moammar Gaddafi's death.]

* 10/28 eve to 10/29 eve: Remembrance day for Rabi'a al-bint Isma'il
'Adawiya (717-801), Sufi saint and preacher; she loved Deity
passionately. Sufis seek Truth through love, wisdom, and action. [Rabi'a lived in
Iraq. She rejected worship motivated by the desire for heavenly reward or the
fear of punishment; she insisted that love is the sole valid form of worship.]
[See article on
Rabi'a.]
[a/k/a Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya al-Qaysiyya or Rabi'a al-Basri] [Rabi' al-Awwal 1] [Birthday & death
day unknown]

* 11/1: World Community Day--Day for celebrating the unity behind
diversity and remembering we are all one people - all children of the
one universal Deity of many names and aspects.

* 11/6: Day a Muslim woman first defied a ban on women entering the
mosque by the front door and praying in the main hall (2003). [In the Morgantown, West
Virginia, mosque, as in many mosques in the United States and elsewhere, women
are required to enter by a back door and pray in a separate room. Asra Nomani,
the author of "Standing Alone in Mecca", began a movement to desegregate
mosques throughout the United States. See
media accounts of Asra Nomani's
efforts.]
[For scholarly discussions of gender equality in Islam, see
"Members, One of
Another: Gender Equality & Justice in Islam" by Riffat Hassan and
"Gender Equity in Islam" by
Jamal Badawi Ph.D. For an examination of the feminist movement in Islam, see
"Inside the Gender Jihad: Womens Reform in Islam" by Amina Wadud.]

* 11/8 eve to 11/9 eve: Mawlid al-Nabi--Day commemorating the birth
of Muslim Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) (570). He conceived Deity
to be a compassionate, genderless unity. [The Prophet's full name was
Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim.]
[While many Sufis consider Allah to be gender-inclusive and some Muslims
of all denominations consider Allah to be gender-neutral, most Muslims
consider Allah to be exclusively male.] [a/k/a Mawlid an-Nabi,
Milad-un-Nabi, Miladun-Nabi] [Rabi' al-Awwal 12]

*
11/9: Day to mourn the violence perpetrated against Muslim-Americans by
Islamophobic Christian extremists. [Leading a group called the
“Crusaders”, Curtis Allen, Gavin Wright, and Patrick Stein planned to
bomb a mosque and kill its Somali immigrant congregants, on 11/9/2016,
in Garden City, Kansas. They espoused hatred for Muslims and hoped to
start a religious war. The attack was discovered and they were arrested
before it was carried out.] [See
Washington Post article;
New York Magazine article.]

* 11/16: Tolerance Day--Day to promote harmony in diversity through
mutual respect and understanding of all, regardless of gender, sexual
orientation, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, nationality, or
economic status.
[Despite international and domestic laws providing
for equal rights, freedoms, and protections, members of minority groups are
still harassed and discriminated against
because of societal intolerance arising from fear and ignorance.] [Intolerance
often results from projection of "collective guilt": it is immoral to blame an
entire group for the acts of a member unless the entire group empowered the member who acted or endorsed the acts.] [See
U.N. website on
International Day for Tolerance;
Wikipedia
article on Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.] [a/k/a International Day
for Tolerance]

* 11/21: Fast for an Abundant World Harvest--Day to fast and commit
to action to help prevent deaths from malnourishment world-wide.
[For more information, see
Oxfam
America website.] [a/k/a Fast for a World Harvest]

* 11/28: Thanksgiving Day--Day to give thanks for the abundance of
our land and for our food, clothes, shelter, and health.

* 12/1: World AIDS Day--Day to pray for healing of all those
suffering with AIDS and HIV. [For information on World AIDS Day, see World
AIDS Day website. For information about the global fight against AIDS, see UNAIDS
website.]

* 12/6: Day the Babri Mosque was destroyed by a Hindu mob in Ayodhya,
India (1992); day to mourn willful destruction of any place of worship.
Places of worship of all religions should be respected by all.
[Prior to
its construction in 1528, the mosque had been a Hindu temple that marked
the birthplace of the God Rama. That temple had been destroyed by Babur
as part of his effort to conquer and Islamize the area. 2000 Hindu
temples were allegedly destroyed by him. The Indian government has since
divided the land to allow construction of both a mosque and a temple.]

* 12/7 eve to 12/8 eve: Day commemorating the death of Abdul Qadir
Jilani (1166), Sufi saint who was renown for his compassion,
particularly for the poor. [Jilani (Gilani) lived in Iraq, was founder of the Qadiri
order, and was known as Ghauth al-'Azam, the "Great Helper". On this day
annually, members of his order recite the Qur'an and distribute food to pilgrims
and the poor in his honor. According to the Qadiris, he was 'born of love, lived
in a perfect way, and died having achieved the perfection of love."][See articles on
Abdul Qadir Jilani.] [a/k/a
Abdul Qadir Jilani Urs] [Rabi' al-Thani 11] [Born 1077; birth celebrated on
Sha'ban 30 or Ramadan 1]

* 12/8: Death day of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1111), Sufi saint who
taught about unity of the soul with the one universal Deity of 99 names
and attributes. [al-Ghazali lived in Syria and wrote "Revival of
Religious Sciences" and "Alchemy of Happiness".] [Urs celebrated on
Jumada al- thani 14.] [Born 1058: exact date unknown]

* 12/17: Day fruit vendor (and university graduate) Mohamed Bouazizi
immolated himself to protest police extortion and harassment of small
businesses (2010). [This began the "Arab Spring" revolutions that
toppled corrupt autocratic governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen,
which recognized few legal rights, freedoms, or protections. In response to
protests, governments in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Algeria, Iraq,
and Lebanon, have made some political reforms or leadership changes. See
Wikipedia article on Arab
Spring.]

[The Muslim religion (Islam) is a universal religion founded in Saudi Arabia
by the Prophet Muhammad, following the first revelation of the Qur'an (Koran) to
him by the Angel Gabriel in 610. The Muslim holy scripture is the Qur'an. Muslim
holy tradition is also reflected in the Hadith and the Sunnah, which recount the
sayings and conduct of the Prophet Muhammad. The Muslim creed is: "There is no
god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger of God (Allah)." Muslims
recognize the one Deity to have a multitude of names and attributes. They pray 5
times daily facing Mecca. Muslims also attend Mosques for Jum'ah prayer,
Qur'anic readings, and Qur'anic interpretation on Fridays. Muslim denominations
include the Sunni, the Shi'a, the Ahmadiyya (Ahmadi), and the Sufi. The main difference between the
Sunnis and the Shi'ites relate to the recognition of different successors to the
Prophet Muhammad. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat (now the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam) was
founded in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Sufism (Tasawwuf) is the mysticism of Islam. Sufis practice
Dhikr, the invocation of Allah by repeating Allah's 99 names and attributes.]

[The Muslim calendar (Islamic calendar or Sufi calendar) year is a lunar
year, not grounded in the solar year. The Islamic year and Islamic months begin
at the first sighting of the New Moon. Islamic days begin and end at sundown. In
calculating the beginning of the year, the months, and the holidays, some
Muslims use the first sighting of the New Moon at their own location. Other
Muslims use the first sighting of the New Moon in Saudi Arabia; still others use
the first sighting of the New Moon anywhere on Earth. The dates in this calendar
are calculated by the Fiqh Council of North America. They now use the global
means of calculating visibility. Dates based on actual sighting in North America
or in Saudi Arabia may differ from these dates.]

[The Muslim holidays (Islamic holidays or Sufi holidays) in this Muslim
calendar include holidays observed by all Muslim denominations, some holidays
and events not universally observed, as well as dates commemorating the lives
and teachings of Sufi mystics.]

[Please note: Because this calendar is a multifaith
calendar, the term "God" is used only when referring to a male deity.
The term "Deity" is used to refer to the Universal gender-neutral Deity that
encompasses both male and female characteristics and all Gods and Goddesses.]